Top 4 Things You May Not Know About TOC Analyzers

1. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Disinfectant Byproduct Rule was enacted in stages beginning in the late 1990s, as part of the Clean Water Act. The regulation holds water utilities responsible for characterizing their product for levels of disinfection byproducts (DBPs), which form when disinfectants are used to control microbial pathogens. Over 260 million Americans are exposed to DBPs. Specifically, the rule tightens compliance monitoring requirements for trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs), and has been a boon for TOC monitoring.

2. In recent years, there has also been increased attention to online TOC, or grab-sampling, to get a better handle on levels of such contaminants in drinking water.

3. HAA and THM problems are seasonal, arising mostly during warm months when algal or bacterial blooms are most likely and water companies are more inclined to use disinfectants. TOC is not the only way to quantify these compounds. GC-MS systems and dedicated THM analyzers are two other technologies that can do so.

4. HAAs and THMs aren’t the only consequence of bacterial or algal blooms. When microorganisms die, they release compounds that produce disagreeable odors, even in the ppb concentration range, creating a tough environment for water plants to master. TOC is a good indicator of what’s coming into those plants.

For the Top 5 Questions You Should Ask When Buying a TOC Analyzer, click here.